All over the world, the Church is preparing for Resurrection Sunday, or Easter as it is commonly called. It may seem strange that we would celebrate the death of Christ in almost the same way that we celebrate His birth. It is not death, however that we celebrate, it is life. At this time of the year, we rejoice that Christ became our substitute in death so that we might have eternal life. While here, Christ said the Church is to "occupy until He returns". But what does that mean to occupy? One thing it does not mean is to live as we please until we go to heaven someday. The Church is to magnify Christ. After all, He is no longer here to be seen in the flesh. So it remains to the ones who follow Him, the Church, to continue the work that He began more than 2,000 years ago.

The word Church comes from the root word which means, the "called out ones". The Church is called not for the purpose of being against something, or someone, but she is called to be for Someone. The Church has a Leader. Often, we think the Church's leader is the preacher or the priest of the local community or diocese. The Leader of the Church is the Creator of the Church. The Leader of the Church is Jesus Christ, and those who are called out, are called to befor Him; to follow Him.

While the Church is not called, or identified primarily by what it opposes, it is called to be against something, or rather someone. Each individual is called to be against SELF. Each modern day disciple of Christ is called to conquer the rebellion in his or her own heart. There is no greater battle to fight than that of the willful, and rebellious heart of the individual. Christ calls us to "kill" the consummate desire of our heart for self-exaltation. This desire leads not only to self-destruction, but to destruction of others as well.

Christ does not call us to hate. On the contrary, His message to the Church is to love. The Son of God left His place with the Father, and took on a human body. In giving up everything for our sake, He exhibited this love to all humanity. To become Leader, He had to conquer the human heart that resided in Him; He had to deny Himself. In order for this to beaccomplished, He allowed His own crucifixion to take place. This was His passion, it was why He came.

He calls us to follow Him to the cross. To crucify self-will, self-interest, self-desire, in a word, selfishness, so that we can learn ONE THING: to love others as He loves us. There is, however a difference in our dying to self, and His dying on the Cross, and the understanding of this difference is crucial to becoming a called-out one. This is the difference: When Christ was crucified, it was for no SIN or unrighteousness of His own. His crucifixion was for the willful disobedience, and unrighteousness of humanity - all humanity. His crucifixion was for us. We are the ones who have sinned. He took on a human body so that as man, He could put to death the lack of love and unrighteousness in the human heart. Christ died to show us how to crucify self, and our inordinate desire for all things "me", that we might learn to love God and others. Christ does not call us to hate, divide, kill and destroy; He calls us to discover what love really is.

Page 2 of 2 - We are all called out, but only those who will to hear and to respond to the call can follow this great passion of Christ. The call is not to a particular church or people, it is to anyone and everyone who will respond to the invitation to die to self and live for Christ.

Belinda Derr Mpagazehe is a minister at Greater Framingham Community Church.